FAILEY EXHIBITION & CONSERVATION GRANTS

The Decorative Arts Trust underwrites grants supporting noteworthy exhibition and object-based conservation projects through Dean F. Failey Grants, named in honor of the Trust’s late Governor. Areas of interest include new scholarship in decorative arts, material culture, craftsmanship, and historic preservation.

Deadline

Organizations should apply by October 31.

Amount and Allocation

Grants for up to $15,000 are awarded annually. The Trust aims to announce the recipients by November 30, with grant funds available as early as January 1 of the following year.

Guidelines

Please review these specifications before applying:

• Applications should clearly outline the project’s objectives and anticipated outcomes, with particular attention to how the work will meaningfully advance the study, interpretation, conservation, or public understanding of the decorative arts and material culture. The Trust aims to support projects that demonstrate lasting benefits to the institution and its audiences, that strengthen scholarship within the field, and generate broadly accessible resources through exhibitions or object-based conservation as well as any related print and online content.
• Preference will be given to projects where the grant funding serves a particular and meaningful purpose within the project’s overall budget.
• Preference will be given to projects that involve or are led by young professionals in the museum field. The Trust also seeks to support colleagues and initiatives that reflect the full diversity of our field.
• Projects can extend one to five years for final completion after the grant is awarded, but no longer. Ongoing projects are suitable for nomination.
• Funds are not permitted to be used to cover overhead or the salary of staff already employed by organizations involved in the project.
• Institutions that receive grant support are expected to have at least one staff member maintain a Trust membership for the duration of the project. Our website outlines the various membership levels. We are happy to answer any questions you may have about this requirement.

Please combine these sections of your application into one single PDF file and email to grants@decorativeartstrust.org:

• Section I (no more than five pages)
  • A formal letter of interest
  • A supporting narrative describing the nature of the project and its impact on the field
• Section II (no more than two pages)
  • At least three images that are representative of the project. Please include at least one image for which you have existing permission or that is in the public domain or creative commons, and please indicate this image in the caption.
  • Applicants should use the following image caption format to the best of their ability for each photo: Maker (if known), Object name or title (italics if title; only first word capitalized if two-word object name; indicate if it is a detail of larger object), date of manufacture (using c. or a range when applicable), place of manufacture. Materials. Owner, credit line, accession number. Photo credit.
• Section III (no more than two pages)
  • Budget that indicates how Trust funds would be allocated if awarded
• Section IV (no more than two pages)
  • A comprehensive project timeline
• Section V (no page limit)
  • Brief curriculum vitae (CVs) or resumes of staff who will be serving as project leads

Download PDF template document

Past Recipients

• 2026:
  • Recipients Overview
  • Central Wyoming College, Riverton, WY
  • The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
  • CUNY Graduate Center, New York, NY
  • Delta Arts Center, Winston-Salem, NC
  • The Museum at FIT, New York, NY
  • Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, MA
  • Newcomb Art Museum, New Orleans, LA
  • University of Delaware, Newark, DE
  • Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT